Ranging from your location to your scheduling needs, there are numerous factors that can impact the final cost of shredding services. As a result, it’s important you keep things like how much you have to shred in mind because based on those various cost factors you may want to adjust your shredding strategy in order to improve your overall cost efficiency.
Learn more in this video or the transcription below about the different shredding options like mobile, off-site, and drop-off shredding with information including their base costs, details on the separate factors that can impact your final shredding cost, and how to tell which shredding service is best to meet your various needs.
Know All Your Options Before You Choose the Right Service
Several options for shredding are available. Refer to the table below for details around each option, including its cost range.
| Service Type | Description | Cost Range |
| Mobile Shredding | With mobile shredding, a specialized truck with a built-in shredder comes to your location to shred on site. This method is suitable for any sized project. | Mobile shredding services typically have a flat price around $130 – $175 for a project of 1-10 boxes. However, pricing varies based on location, project size, and other factors. |
| Off-Site Shredding | With off-site shredding, a truck is still sent to your location like with mobile, but instead of shredding on site, your materials are taken to an off site facility. | Off-site shredding usually is less expensive than mobile since it saves transportation time for providers. |
| Drop-Off Shredding | Drop-off shredding works like a walk-in service rather than needing to schedule and is designed with small-scale shredding in mind. | Drop-off shredding is priced by the point option as opposed to a flat cost (on average $1 per pound), making it ideal for when quantities don’t justify mobile or off-site shredding. |
| Ship ‘N’ Shred | Ship ‘N’ Shred is also ideal for small-scale shredding, however, instead of personally bringing materials in, providers come to you to collect them. | On average, the cost of Ship ‘N’ Shred is $32 per box. |
| Hard Drive Shredding | Ship ‘N’ Shred is also ideal for small-scale shredding, however, instead of personally bringing materials in, providers come to you to collect them. | Usually, hard drive destruction is between $7-$20 per drive, and as the quantity increases the price decreases. |
Consider How Much You Have to Shred
The most efficient and convenient shredding option depends on how much you have to shred.
One example is how mobile and off-site shredding have flat costs while drop off and Ship ‘N’ Shred prices are based on quantity. Since the cost will keep scaling for drop-off shredding based on how much you have to shred (roughly $1 per pound), once you pass the 90 pounds mark on your project, the flat cost of mobile or off-site shredding becomes ideal.
Hard drive destruction pricing also depends on quantity. Whether it’s being destroyed on site or off site, the general rule of thumb is that as the number of hard drives increases, the cost of their destruction in turn goes down.
Consider Your Location
Another cost factor is how far you are from the shredding provider because as the distance between you increases, the amount of extra gas, time, and other resources required to come to your location can also cause the overall cost of shredding to increase.
When it comes to services like drop-off shredding though, distance luckily doesn’t need to be factored in since you handle the transportation part by bringing the materials in yourself.
Consider Your Scheduling Needs
When it comes to shredding services that come to your location like mobile shredding or Ship ‘N’ Shred, the standard process usually begins with scheduling a service date ahead of time.
Despite that though, if you do need to have something shredded sooner rather than later, there are still options for having your materials shredded quickly.
For example, similar to how you can get priority shipping for normal packages in the mail, with Ship ‘N’ Shred and mobile or off-site shredding services you can request priority service for shredding without prior scheduling at a higher cost.
Choosing the Right Shredding Service For You
Each shredding service option has its own special features that could make it the right one for you.
Mobile Shredding
Given its flat cost, mobile shredding is often ideal for any sized project. When it comes to security needs, another benefit is witnessed shredding where you can watch the destruction from your curbside.
Off-Site Shredding
Off-site shredding is also ideal for any sized project. However, there are still differences like the extra time it takes to shred on site vs. off site. As a result, if you’re looking to save on costs, using off-site shredding will be slightly cheaper since it doesn’t require the same amount of resources from providers.
Drop-Off Shredding
Drop-off shredding is designed for smaller projects of 90 pounds or less because it’s priced by the pound, meaning you only pay for what you shred. Drop-off is also a good alternative for when you need to shred something immediately. Rather than scheduling for down the line, you can just walk in.
Ship ‘N’ Shred
Similar to drop-off, the overall cost of using Ship ‘N’ Shred will also go up as project sizes get bigger, making it ideal for small-scale shredding.
What really separates Ship ‘N’ Shred from drop off is how convenient it is — while it may require scheduling, the service comes to you.
Still Not Sure Which Shredding Service Is Best for You?
Join Bloomingdales, Coca-Cola, and countless other businesses and individuals who we’ve helped to find cost-effective shredding options when you visit us at Shred Nations today.
For free, no-obligation quotes from providers near you, fill out the form to the right, use the live chat option, or give us a call at (800) 747-3365.
